Wayne McLaren, 51, Rodeo Rider and Model

Published: July 25, 1992

Wayne McLaren, a former rodeo rider, movie stunt man, model and actor, died on Wednesday at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif. He was 51 years old and lived in Corona del Mar.

He died of lung cancer, his family said.

Mr. McLaren, who said he had modelled occasionally for the "Marlboro Man" advertising campaign, attributed his illness to 30 years of smoking. When he was found to have cancer two years ago, he became a critic of the tobacco industry and spoke at the stockholders' meeting of Philip Morris, which makes Marlboro.

But Philip Morris denied that Mr. McLaren was ever a model for the Marlboro Man campaign. Karen Daragan, a company spokeswoman, said neither Philip Morris nor its advertising agency, Leo Burnett, had any records to verify Mr. McLaren's assertion.

But to support it, Mr. McLaren had produced an affidavit from Robert W. Kenneally saying Mr. Kenneally founded the Associated Talent agency in Beverly Hills, Calif., represented Mr. McLaren for 11 years and contracted for his work with Burnett. Attached to the affidavit was a 1984 Associated Talent pay check stub for Mr. McLaren with a notation that the fee was for a "Marlboro print" job.

Earlier this year Mr. McLaren testified at a hearing on proposed anti-smoking legislation in Massachusetts. Last week he said he hoped what happened to him would discourage others from smoking, especially young people. "I've spent the last month of my life in an incubator," he said, "and I'm telling you, it's just not worth it."

He is survived by his wife, Ellen; his mother, Louise, of Lake Charles, La., and two brothers, Charles and John, and a sister, Marie Lynn Sellers Morrow, all of Houston.